Turnabout Identities
by Doc Scratch
Summary: Teru never had a chance to go to court, but what if he did? What if he was trying to get a conviction against a teen called Matt for a hacking? What if his opponent was the one, the only, Phoenix Wright? Crackish crossover. Discontinued.
1. And Now, In His Prosecuting Debut

A/N: lolz I can't believe I'm actually writing this... it's such a crack idea. Actually, all my ideas seem to be crack ideas, so whatever. But seriously... I think the only reason I'm writing this is unrestrained fangirlism. And also an obsessive fixation on crossovers... made less obvious by my tendency to abandon them randomly mid-writing and come back later going 'K I'm back, what'd I miss?' Anyway... Do not, by any means, take this story seriously. Even if for whatever reason it suddenly starts to seem serious, don't take it that way. In fact if it starts to seem serious to you, you should probably take medication. Or stop taking whatever you're on. Either/or.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. _Nothing._

Summary: Teru never had a chance to go to court, but what if he did? What if he was trying to get a conviction against a teen called Matt for a hacking? What if his opponent was the one, the only, Phoenix Wright!? Crackish crossover with the Ace Attorney games.

Chapter 1: And Now, in His Prosecuting Debut...

"Fools! I am more than capable of-of- ACHOO!" CRACK!

The whip of Franziska von Karma snapped at the same time as her nose, and it was hard to tell whether the sneeze or the weapon was louder. Fortunately, the state of her sinuses had drastically handicapped her aim, so Detective Gumshoe would live to see another day.

"I'm sorry, Franziska, but there is simply no way the office is going to allow you into court in this condition." Miles Edgeworth remarked calmly. "In fact, as your older brother, I am afraid that even if they would I could not."

"Shut up!" Franziska pointed at him dramatically. "I must defeat Phoenix Wright!"

"I hardly think this is your last chance." Miles replied placatingly. "It's not even a murder case, so I suggest you go home, take some Tylenol, and get some rest."

"Why should I?"

"Because if you get worse then you may miss out on a case that is actually serious." Miles countered. There was no response to this other than an angry huff. Franziska glared full force, causing Gumshoe to whimper slightly, and proceeded to turn on her heel and stomp out of the office, coughing a bit on her way.

"There." Miles smiled gently. "I told you that wouldn't be so bad." He said to Gumshoe severely.

"Maybe for you Mr. Edgeworth, but she would've eaten me alive." The scruffy man said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Nonsense, Franziska doesn't eat things so high in calories."

There was a pause here as Gumshoe looked hurt, Edgeworth failed to feel bad, and the moment passed.

"So are you going to oversee the case sir?" Gumshoe questioned once he was done moping.

"Of course not, I don't muddle in things as irrelevant as a single computer hacking." Edgeworth rolled his eyes, pasting a superior look on his face... which was hardly necessary since he always seemed to wear an expression of superiority.

"Ah, so it's Mr. Godot then?" Gumshoe asked nervously. Edgeworth shook his head.

"No, from what I hear Godot is in the hospital at the moment."

"Well... than who...?"

"An amateur, fresh out of the university but he shows a good deal of promise." Edgeworth said, and handed Gumshoe a note. "That's his office number, you'll be working under him for this case." Without further ado, the seasoned prosecutor strolled out of the building in search of more important matters. And possibly a decent cup of tea.

Gumshoe read the note carefully, following the directions as best he could. Half an hour later he had finally found the room on the lobby level of the building that served as the newest prosecutor's office.

"Mikami Teru." Gumshoe read off the name plate on the door. Shrugging, he knocked. A young man with long, choppy dark hair and sleek framed spectacles opened the door. He was wearing a sophisticated dark suit, and had rust-color slanted eyes that glared up at Gumshoe intimidatingly. Normally a person who has taken part in numerous murder cases and met Franziska von Karma cannot be unnerved by anything else. Obviously this only applies to people who have never met Mikami Teru.

"Um, Mr. Mikami sir... I'm Detective Gumshoe, I'll be working under you for the court case..." Gumshoe explained, feeling about an inch tall under that penetrating stare.

"I see. I had been told someone would be down... what on earth is that smell?" Mikami wrinkled his nose suddenly. Gumshoe colored.

"Er... that's me... sorry, I haven't had enough money to go to the laundry mat recently so my coat hasn't been washed in a couple weeks." The detective explained. Mikami stared at him in disgust, and promptly shut the door in his face. Gumshoe hardly had enough time to wonder what to do next however, before the door opened once more and a handful of bills were shoved in his face.

"Take this. Go to the closet laundry mat. Do not come back until you are confident that you no longer smell like garbage."

"Yessir." Gumshoe saluted, taking the money gratefully and hurrying out of the building. Mikami sighed, returning to his desk and sitting down to examine the case file. Again. He was very thorough. It made him good at everything he did.

* * *

"Hey Nick, why'd you take this case anyway? Isn't murder more your thing?" Maya bounced up and down in her seat on the office's sofa. Nick sweatdropped. 'My thing? Have I really done that many murder cases? ...Huh, I guess I have, but still! I never meant to specialize in murders!'

"Mister Nick! Mister Nick!" Pearl suddenly jumped up and down in front of him, startling the defense attorney.

"Ack! W-what is it Pearls?" Nick managed to get a grip on himself.

"Mystic Maya asked you a question, shouldn't you answer it?" Pearl pouted disapprovingly.

"Uh, right... well the kid needed help and I thought it would be a nice break from all the serious cases and stuff, y'know?" Phoenix grinned.

"Ohhh that makes sense." Pearl smiled.

"Yeah. It was good choice Nick. Plus that guy is kinda cute." Maya squealed. Pearl looked aghast and Phoenix sighed exasperatedly.

"Mystic Maya! What about Mr. Nick!?" Pearl gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. Maya blushed.

"Quiet Pearly!" She hissed. "I told you that's just a misunderstanding."

"But-" Pearl began, however Nick interrupted.

"I think we should go visit our client now, I still have a few questions for him." Phoenix asserted, stretching his arms and grabbing his coat on the way to the door. Maya and Pearl shared a glance before springing after him with identical happy grins.

"Ok!" Maya enthused, "And maybe we can stop for hamburgers on the way back!"

* * *

Matt wasn't particularly worried. Sure he was sitting in a holding cell, awaiting his trial, but for once he was actually innocent. Of _course _he was innocent, if he had actually been the one to hack that two-bit corporation's computer, they wouldn't have even known it'd been done. Frankly Matt was insulted that anyone would accuse him of such shabby work, but such is life. He lit up a fresh cig, lounging against the wall, wishing they'd let him have his video games. The bastards. It wasn't like he could hack anyone with a DS... ok, not easily at least.

While Watari and L weren't willing to bribe the police into letting him off, despite their overabundance of moolah, they were willing to hire him the best defense attorney available. Sounded good to Matt, and Kira pretty much only killed murderers and rapists, so like it says above, he wasn't worried.

Mostly he was bored.

"Visitors for you." Announced one of the guards who hung around the facility, opening his door. Matt rose from his seat and cracked his neck. It was probably Roger, since L and Watari were extremely busy with the whole Kira case thing, and Mello would never allow his face to be caught on a camera from outside the orphanage. Matt wasn't too worried though, he could probably get into the system and delete all the video files once this thing was over. Of course he'd have to delete everything in there for the past month or so, so as not to draw suspicion onto himself, and he'd have to wait a few months to do it too, again to avoid the finger-pointing.

Matt entered the room, with plexiglass separating him from his visitors. Serious overkill, in Matt's opinion, but whatever. They'd probably had enough psychos in here that caution _was _necessary at this point.

Roger was not the visitor, which Matt expected he should have deduced from the plural format of the guard's comment. He blamed it on lethargy.

"Hey." Matt waved at his lawyer, and the lawyer's two... sidekick type girls. Weird.

"Hi, uh... Matt, wasn't it?" The lawyer looked sheepish.

"Yep." Matt removed his cigarette just long enough to blow out a stream of smoke impressively, and replaced it. "You're Phoenix Wright, the famous defense attorney. Think you can win this for me?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure..." The man didn't sound that sure. "But first I have to ask, are you innocent?" He was suddenly very serious, which Matt almost found funny. Then he recalled the guy was used to murder-suspects for clients, and thought it must be force of habit.

"Have I made a few hacks in my time? Yeah. Did I jack up the system for these losers? Nope. Wasn't me. Wish I knew who it was. Then I could kick their ass for setting me up." Matt replied honestly, pushing up his goggles to look Phoenix in the eyes briefly. Nick nodded, and grinned.

"If you're innocent, then I'll never stop fighting for you." He stated firmly, and Matt nodded in approval.

"Good man."

"Although you might want to watch out for the prosecutor... she has this whip, see?" Phoenix winced.

"Huh? Oh that chick. Yeah she seemed like a nasty piece of work. Hot though." Matt shrugged. Phoenix looked ill at the comment. "But this detective guy was in here earlier, and he told me that apparently she came down with the flu, so she's not the prosecutor this round."

"Really?" Phoenix blanched. 'How come my client knows this before I do? Gah, no one tells me anything!'

"Ooooh! Hey Nick, maybe you'll get to go up against Edgeworth again!" Maya squealed. 'Why would I be happy about that?' Phoenix thought, staring at Maya in disbelief.

"Nah, apparently it's this new dude, 'Mikami' or maybe it was 'Megumi'... crap can't remember." Matt sighed, "Not the whip chick though." Nick breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, it doesn't get worse than Franziska or Godot, so how bad can this be?"

Oh Phoenix. Be prepared to eat your words.

TBC...

A/N: My first Phoenix Wright fic is a Deathnote crossover... typical. xDD Still, it's fun, ne? OMG Franzy I'm sorry I gave you the flu! D8 ILY! Pls don't kill me mk? lol I love Gumshoe, he's so adorably incompetent but still so determined. And Edgeworth, with his frilliness... And Godot with his coffee-catapulting. Phoenix is fun too, but I love Team Prosecutor alot more.


	2. Trial Day One

A/N: Hiiiiii! Me again, with the second chapter of this whacked out story. I just realized this is my first time writing Teru... huh... which is weird because I love him just soooooo much. In fact he comes in third on my favorite characters list (right after L and Mello), so really it's odd to me that I haven't written him before...

And a HUGE thank you goes to Kourin and An Ordinary Fan for reviewing! Tons of gratitude for you guys, I really appreciated the nice comments! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

Disclaimer: I do not own Deathnote or Phoenix Wright.

Chapter 2: Trial Day One

Phoenix stood in the District Court Defendant Lobby (No. 1) outside the courtroom ponderously, a chatting Maya next to him. He wondered vaguely what his new opponent would be like, but mostly he was trying to remember if he'd left the coffee pot on.

'I'm sure I turned it off... I mean, I drank the last cup right?' He thought anxiously. 'Dangit, I knew I should have checked if the little light was on before I left!' Maya was going on about how they'd show whoever it was that Phoenix Wright was the best defense lawyer ever, or something to that effect. There also seemed to be many references to the Steel Samurai in the form of battle phrases such as "Crush them with honor!" amongst others.

Pearly hadn't been able to come due to some sort of medium training; and Nick's client, Matt, was lounging on the sofa and smoking. Nick was pretty sure smoking wasn't allowed in here, and apparently the courtroom guard thought so too, but the redhead had a certain air of 'do not disturb' that might possibly quell even Franziska had she been present. Also, he'd casually tossed out some really big words earlier when asked certain questions by Gumshoe that had the unfortunate scruffy detective scratching his head and running for a dictionary.

"Nick!" A shout from Maya broke through Phoenix's contemplation of his coffee-maker with the help of a rather painful poke in the side.

"Ow!" Phoenix rubbed his now sore ribs. "What was that for?"

"You weren't even listening to me, were you?" Maya looked downtrodden suddenly. "Was I being that annoying?" Phoenix panicked, a sulky Maya could quickly turn into an angry Maya.

"No, no!" He assured her hastily, smiling in a nervous manner. "I was just, uh, trying to remember something... important. Sorry I zoned out for a minute."

"Jeeze, Nick. How do you expect to win this case if your head is in the clouds?" Maya teased, but her good humor was restored and Phoenix breathed a mental sigh of relief. A security guard from inside the courtroom opened the door and called them in. 'Well, time to do what I do best... apparently...' Nick thought.

* * *

Half an Hour Earlier:

Teru strode into the courthouse's library with the righteous ferocity of... well... I lack a comparison, but trust me that he was extremely righteous and ferocious. Gumshoe, who had an open dictionary in his hands that he was staring at in quite a focused manner, barely registered the young prosecutor's entry.

"Am-big-yoo-us." Gumshoe read out to himself, "open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations... Darnit now I have to look up 'interpretations' too..." He began flipping the pages of the book, and was fairly startled when it was deftly whisked out of his hands and closed with a snap. The detective found himself looking through a pair of sensible spectacles and into the eyes of a very irate Mikami Teru.

"What is the meaning of this?" Teru demanded coldly. Gumshoe actually felt a freezing sensation run through his mind, the tone was so icy.

"Er... I was looking up a word..." Gumshoe offered, fumbling. Teru made an angry dismissive gesture with the hand the dictionary was in, and Gumshoe flinched on reflex, fully expecting to be hit with it. Oddly though, Teru's expression seemed to soften slightly at Gumshoe's cowed reaction.

"Not that." The prosecutor said, "I walked into my office to retrieve my copy of the case overview, in case I should need it at some point during the trial, and I found the second witness to be called today waiting for me. Apparently under the impression he was supposed to be... _briefed_ on the testimony that he was to give." Gumshoe deadpanned.

"Well... yeah... I'm sorry, should I have sent him up sooner?" The detective asked worriedly. Teru gave him a look of utter disgust.

"So..." He murmured in a voice as soft and deadly as Franziska's whip sliding through the air before it cracked against skin. "That's your game, is it? We are meant to tamper with the testimony so as to make the defendant appear more guilty?" Gumshoe was at a loss. Well, yeah. That's what all the prosecutors had done... granted that Mr. Edgeworth had been less vehement about it than Ms. von Karma, but still. It was a given that the prosecution would control what the witnesses said. At least until Phoenix Wright broke through the statements. Somehow though, Gumshoe sensed that Mikami Teru was different. Maybe it was the utter repulsion in his face, maybe it was the disdain with which he spoke, or maybe it was the suspenseful silence that had fallen, but Detective Gumshoe knew that the events which the other volatile prosecutors he had served had regarded as normal, were pissing Mr. Mikami the hell off. Perhaps it was a newbie thing?

"Uh..." Gumshoe wondered what to say. "Well, not if you don't want to." He settled on finally. Teru raised an eyebrow.

"No." He stated flatly. "I do not. I will win this trial through Justice. I will win it because the criminal is guilty, and deserves to be punished. Not simply because I want to win." Setting the dictionary on a nearby table with a decisive thump, Teru swept out of the room. Staring after him, Gumshoe felt new respect welling up, different than the respect for Edgeworth's authoritative brilliance, and Franziska's undefiable whip and indomitable attitude. Respect because this was a man who truly believed in the law, and in upholding it in an honorable manner.

Anyone but Gumshoe would also probably have felt a twinge of pity.

* * *

As Phoenix entered the courtroom and those not already in their seats hastened to them, he looked anxiously to the prosecutor's bench. 'Payne, Manfred, Edgeworth, Franziska, Godot... who's next?' His answer, as he slipped into his place at the defense's table, was staring at him through the artful round lenses of a smart pair of glasses. Nothing at all like the windshields Payne wore, and the eyes behind them were a deep rust color, vibrant almost to the point of being red. He was elegant, despite the tousled look his long black hair had, and the expression on his face had a foreboding aura. Nick didn't have to wait for the trial to commence, he could tell already this would be a challenge. 'Crap... this guy doesn't look too friendly... at least he doesn't have a whip...'

"The prosecution is ready, your honor." The prosecutor stated in a firm voice. Phoenix was sure he heard a feminine sigh coming from the stands of onlookers... not good... Suddenly Phoenix felt piercing eyes on him, and realized it was his turn to speak. 'Oh right...' he thought sheepishly, and cleared his throat.

"The defense is ready as well." Phoenix replied with the conviction of someone who has pulled through far worse situations than the one currently facing them. The Judge, an elderly old fellow who had presided over nearly all of Phoenx's cases, nodded approvingly and looked over to the prosecution.

"Your opening statement?" He asked.

"The defendant, whose last name is not disclosed for reasons unspecified but already agreed to by this court," here the man paused, obviously displeased by the fact, "Mr. Matt is accused of hacking into and sabotaging the mainframe computers of a prestigious programming company. The damage he did was equivalent to roughly one million dollars loss. He is known to be proficient in technological skills, and was in fact caught once before hacking a game manufacturing incorporation, although charges were not pressed by them." Nearly scarlet eyes flashed determinedly. "I, Mikami Teru, intend to bring this criminal to justice."

'Oh great, another crazy...' Phoenix thought nervously, eyeing the expensive-looking pen Mikami had gestured with.

"Well, very impressive." The judge said, wide eyed, "I believe it's time for the prosecution to call it's first witness." Phoenix couldn't help but think things were off to a bad start. Then again, all of his cases seemed to begin somewhat like this, and he always pulled through. 'You can do this Phoenix, no problem!" He thought proudly, shooting a smile over at Mikami. To Phoenix's disappointment, the man didn't appear to be unnerved by the show of confidence. In fact he simply stared emotionlessly back, causing in Phoenix the vague disturbance that the defense lawyer's own glare had been known to rouse in others. 'Whoa... creepy...'

"I call Detective Dick Gumshoe to the stand." Teru called out. A few moments passed as the underpaid man shuffled from his seat to the witness stand, his usual good-natured grin in place.

"Alright, Nick! This should be easy. Just keep your focus." Maya cheered, startling Phoenix. He'd almost forgotten she was there.

"Right, no problem." He replied, patting her on the shoulder.

"Gumshoe's always pretty clumsy with what he says anyway. I think he gets all confused by the directions he keeps getting." Maya bounced up and down excitedly. 'More like he's just incompetent if you ask me.' Phoenix rolled his eyes, turning away so Maya wouldn't see and misinterpret.

"State your name and profession for the record." Mikami instructed.

"Name's Dick Gumshoe pal, I'm a detective." Gumshoe scratched his head awkwardly, wondering why it was again that he always had to state his name like this even though the prosecutor had said it when calling him to testify. Speaking of prosecutors, Teru looked decidedly less than thrilled about being referred to as 'pal.' Nevertheless he continued.

"Please give your testimony." Teru sighed.

"Sure thing, pal." The oblivious man agreed.

-Gumshoe's Testimony-

"Ok, so this company has lots of computers, obviously, and they all run on the same mainframe...or whatever it's called..." The detective began cheerily.

"Anyway basically that means they're all connected a bit through this one manager computer... thing... and that's the one that got hacked." Gumshoe was beginning to look a bit out of his depth as he attempted to explain matters that he didn't completely understand himself.

"The thing is, there was a bunch of viruses released into the system. And at least two of those viruses are recorded as being designed by the defendant." Gumshoe finished.

There were whispers amongst those watching, and the Judge slammed his gavel twice before everyone settled down. Maya was looking a bit nervous, but it was nothing to how Phoenix was feeling. 'Oh crap... this early and people are already against us... plus I don't even know a whole lot about computers! This is bad... why couldn't I have just stuck to murders?'

"Well, considering the defendant's skills and inclination towards actions of this kind... adding that to the report that two of these virus things were his, this appears to be a case with a very clear outcome." The judge stated, "although I can't say I understand everything you said, I guess I'm getting kind of old, I just don't get all this technological gibberish you young people are into nowadays." Phoenix sweatdropped, 'are you sure that's the sort of thing you should be admitting to, your honor?' he thought, but nevertheless pounced on the opportunity.

"Your honor, I still have to give my cross-examination. Maybe things will become more clear once I have questioned the good detective." Phoenix smirked. Suddenly something stabbed into his shoulder, and Phoenix jerked back with a yelp of surprise and mild pain. Looking down, he saw none other than the fancy fountain pen belonging to Mikami. Grabbing the end and pulling it out of his shoulder Phoenix rubbed the area, noting relievedly that it was more of a scratch than anything else, the pen having caught in the thick fabric of his suit rather than his skin. "What the-!? What is wrong with you!?" Phoenix shouted. Mikami pushed his glasses up higher on his nose non-chalantly, his eyes closed in disconcerned thought, and pulled another fancy pen from his pocket. Phoenix visibly blanched, but Mikami didn't launch this one. Yet.

"You have the right to a cross-examination. There is no need to attempt manipulation of the judge by saying you can alleviate his confusion." The prosecutor observed, near-scarlet eyes snapped open with a sudden rise of irritation. "Especially when further banter, especially from someone trying to protect a criminal, could only deepen that confusion!" Phoenix gulped as Mikami's glare bore into him. Jeeze... Were all prosecutors crazy and fond of hitting him with stuff!? Manfred's sharp finger snapping, Franziska's swift vicious whip, and Godot's painfully hot coffee... well, alright Payne had never assaulted him with anything more dangerous than an obnoxiously whiney voice, and the only weapon Edgeworth equipped himself with was a biting wit. Still, three out of five was the majority! Four out of six counting this newcomer with his nutso pen launching!

"Mr. Wright, I'm going to have to ask that if you intend to cross-examine the witness, you must proceed to do so without causing a commotion in the courtroom." The judge ordered. 'Are you kidding? _He's _the one that caused the commotion! He basically stabbed me with his pen!' Phoenix decided however that it was wise to keep this to himself, and with a weary attitude turned to finally begin his questioning.

"So, Gumshoe..." The lawyer began, perking up a bit in thought, that old thrill of finding the holes and exposing lies resurfacing. He decided to question Gumshoe on each part of his testimony, to learn as much as possible before coming to any conclusions. "The company... er... has a lot of computers?"

"Uh, yeah, pal. It is a computer programming company." Gumshoe replied. When Gumshoe sounds incredulous, you just know you've asked a dumb question. Phoenix sweatdropped.

"Right, so they're all connected to this single main computer, correct?"

"Yeah. That's what I said." Gumshoe smiled, proud that he was understood thus far.

"And that's the one that got hacked?"

"Correct. That's how the viruses and stuff reached through the whole company, because they got into the main computer."

"I see. About these viruses... how many were there?"

"Fifteen, pal." There were a few excited murmurs around the court at this. Phoenix smiled, feeling he might be on to something.

"And you said that two of the viruses were designed by my client?"

"Yeah. Sorry, pal, but facts are facts."

"How did you know this?" Phoenix shot out, 'I'd better cover all my bases...'

"From that time he hacked the game manufacturing company, pal. His computer was seized then, with a warrant of course, and we found those two virus designs on it." Further murmuring from the onlookers was caused by this. 'Crap... maybe I shouldn't have asked that?' Phoenix wondered briefly. 'Oh well, too late now...' Gumshoe pulled a few pieces of paper out of one of the pockets of his huge coat. "Here, this is a list some of our researchers compiled of the viruses that affected the computers."

"Accepted as evidence." The judge nodded. Phoenix examined his copy carefully.

"So, out of fifteen viruses, only two were my clients? That doesn't sound like a lot. Where did the other thirteen come from?" Phoenix tapped the paper matter of factly. Gumshoe looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, several of them are pretty common and well known. One we've never heard of before, and the rest are known to be created by people already in jail." He admitted. 'Gotcha!' Phoenix thought triumphantly.

"Isn't it entirely possible that someone simply used my clients viruses? If the majority of the attack can't be connected to Matt, than it stands to reason that this could all have been orchestrated by someone else." Phoenix smirked.

"Hey... I never thought of it like that, I guess you're right pal!" Gumshoe grinned back.

"Alright, goooo Nick!" Maya laughed happily. Smirk still in place, Phoenix looked over to his opponent... and immediately his expression dropped. Mikami had a small, smug smile on his face. A smile that was ever-so-faintly reminiscent of the sort Edgeworth gave when he shook his head derisively. 'Dangit, can't I get a break?' Phoenix groaned inwardly.

"So, you think you can get off by claiming that it could have been someone else? Well, I'll have you know that we don't go to court with only one piece of evidence." Teru flipped his pen through his fingers emphatically, and Phoenix's eyes followed it, prepared to take evasive action should it leave the prosecutor's hand. "Detective Gumshoe, please inform the court of the incriminating evidence discovered."

"T-there's more?" Phoenix stammered. Teru nodded, that smug smile stabbing at Phoenix's ego. Gumshoe was looking thoughtful, or as thoughtful as Gumshoe ever looked.

"Oh right!" He exclaimed suddenly, "now I remember." Phoenix sighed exasperatedly, thinking 'I just knew this wasn't going to be easy...'

-Further Evidence-

"The viruses weren't the only thing we found, although they were what led us to Matt in the first place." Gumshoe explained.

"You see, damage wasn't the only goal of the hacker in this case. There were several files downloaded from the company's computers." Gumshoe actually looked a bit apologetic, he'd developed a sort of friendship with Phoenix over all the cases they'd run into each other on.

"Due to his history and the virus connection, we were able to get a warrant to examine Matt's computers. And we found a copy of all the stolen files on his laptop." The detective finished, shooting an accusatory glare across the courtroom to where Matt was sitting and... smoking... still... The redhead's expression was impossible to read behind his goggles and cigarette, but the way he was lounging in the chair suggested a distinct lack of concern. Or maybe just laziness.

"What!?" Phoenix cried out, alarmed. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Well, you didn't ask pal. Also... I kinda forgot for a while there..." Gumshoe had the decency to look embarrassed. He pulled another few papers out of one of his pockets. "These are details on the files we found on the laptop. We also have the laptop here, seeing as how we had to confiscate it for the search."The judge nodded again, accepting both items into the Court Record as evidence. Phoenix looked over the list with a growing sense of doom. 'They actually found these on his laptop? ...That's pretty bad... Jeeze, he might even be guilty!' Phoenix immediately shook this thought from his head. 'No way, come on Phoenix you have to believe in your client! Now think... what was that Mia always said? Hmm... think out of the box? Well, lets try it... since I'm not going to believe that Matt is guilty, I shouldn't be asking why the files are there... I should be asking _how_ they got there!'

With this conclusion, Phoenix sprang into action once more. Metaphorically speaking, of course, since he was pretty sure that springing in the courtroom would get him a penalty at the very least.

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted, causing Gumshoe to jump a bit.

"W-what is it?" The detective blinked in surprise, though really he should have been used to it by now.

"You don't know for sure how those files got there! Someone else, the real hacker, could have put them on my client's laptop to frame him or just to keep the attention off of themselves!" Phoenix theorized. 'Please let this work... pleeeease.'

"Whoa! Are you crazy? We found them on _his _laptop, who else would have put them there?" Gumshoe sounded impressed despite the doubting words.

"That's... not important!" Phoenix tried, "the point is that we don't know for sure that Matt is the one who downloaded the files! He lives in an orphanage, so there are bound to be plenty of people who could have accessed his laptop at the first opportunity. And what's more!" Phoenix continued, an idea suddenly occuring to him, "the fact that two viruses of his were used in the attack only strengthens the argument! Why would Matt use viruses already known to be designed by him? Especially when there were _thirteen_ other viruses apparently available to the hacker! Why would anyone who had access to this many need to use two that incriminate themself? It fits better if the hacker was someone else trying to put the blame on my client!" Excited mutters blossomed throughout the court, and Phoenix might even venture to say they were louder and more fervent than the ones produced by the prosecution.

"Order! Order!" The judge bellowed, pounding the gavel. Order was indeed restored to the room in the space of a few seconds, but the impression was clear. Phoenix had made headway. Mikami face was a mixture of surprise and interest. Gumshoe was speechless.

"It is obvious that if it cannot be proven that Matt was the one to download those files, the prosecution's case wouldn't necessarily hold up..." The judge stated, glancing from Phoenix to Teru thoughtfully. "Very well, we shall adjourn for the day, and I hope that by tomorrow the prosecution will be able to give us a more complete presentation." He tapped his gavel authortatively to signal the end of the trial, for now. People began filing out, talking brightly. Phoenix gave a relieved sigh, following the rest of the crowd out of the court.

"That was great Nick! You totally had them guessing!" Maya beamed.

"Thanks Maya. Although really it was just luck... unless we can prove not only that it's _possible_ that someone else put the files on Matt's laptop, but that someone definitely _did _try to frame him, than the prosecution will undoubtably recover." Phoenix groaned. "Ugh, how do I keep getting myself into these situations!?"

"I dunno, man. But I sure owe you a thanks. That was pretty cool, what you did in there." Matt had wandered over to them, the security guards having allowed him a brief moment to talk before the time to take him back to the holding cell came.

"I just hope I can follow up on it tomorrow..." Phoenix replied. Matt nodded.

"Well, you've gotta be right. I didn't do it. So someone else had to have... tell you what, I'll give you the address of the orphanage. It isn't available to anyone else, for privacy reasons, but I figure if you guys promise to keep it a secret than it'd be ok to tell you. Who knows? If you head over there you might even find something out." Matt offered.

"Oh that would be great!" Maya squealed. Phoenix considered it. 'Well, it isn't like I have any other options...'

"Alright, we'll go take a look." He agreed. Matt grinned, and pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket.

"There you go. Be sure to ask for Mello, ok? That's my best friend, and he'll make sure you're taken care of." With a jaunty waved, Matt crammed his hands into his pockets and strode away. Maya peeked over Phoenix's shoulder for a better look as the lawyer unfolded the bit of paper.

"The Wammy's House?" He read, and blanched at the address."Well, looks like we're going to Winchester..."

TBC...

A/N: Don't ask me where they are. It's some strange place where Japan, England, and whatever the hell the country from the Ace Attorney games is are all squished in right next to each other. ...or something... SHUT UP THAT'S WHY THIS STORY IS CRACK! ...hehehe.. Er, really, please just go with it. Please... -clears throat- And do also review, I enjoy reviews. They keep me motivated.


	3. Trip to Wammy's

A/N: Laziness is a terrible thing darlings. And I happen to suffer from a serious affliction of it. Do please forgive meeeee. Also, however few the reviews, they made me happy because they were so lovely. So thanks to all you reviewers. THANK YOOOOUUU!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Deathnote or the Ace Attorney games.

Chapter 3: Trip to Wammy's

Ah, the laughter of children. Known far and wide for making soft-hearted adults feel unusually sentimental. It is also known to cause teachers to look around for property damage, and old men to reflexively shake their canes (provided they have canes) and scream to "Get off my lawn!" (Provided they have lawns.)

Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl couldn't help but notice the laughter of children as they walked up the dirt path to the large white building of Wammy's House Orphanage.

"I thought orphanages were supposed to be sad places..." Maya commented as Phoenix knocked on the front door.

"Television dramas are not reliable sources of information, Maya." Phoenix said exasperatedly.

"It's good to know they aren't..." Pearl muttered sadly, "I almost got sent to one..." A stab of misplaced guilt hit Phoenix square in the chest. 'That's right... after her mother was sent to jail, Pearls wouldn't have a guardian would she? ...I wonder who is taking care of her? Must be some of the other mediums...' He thought. A young girl with pale blonde pigtails opened the door.

"Um, can I help you?" She asked.

"We're here to conduct an investigation!" Maya chirped. Phoenix sweatdropped as the young girl looked mildly impressed.

"What she means is we just need to ask some people a few questions." The defense lawyer clarified.

"Oh, ok. You must be with that other guy. I'm Linda." The girl opened the door wider and ushered them in.

"This other guy... he doesn't happen to wear a big smelly green coat, and have a bandage on his cheek does he?" Maya questioned thoughtfully. Linda raised an eyebrow.

"Why, yes. Wouldn't you know that?" She replied.

"Not really, all we knew was that some detective was sent down. They forgot to mention which one." Phoenix laughed nervously, cutting off whatever Maya had been about to say. Linda nodded, as though satisfied.

"Alright. He's up in Roger's office, Roger is the caretaker here, just down the hall there." She pointed. "Is that all?"

"Actually, we're looking for someone called Mello. We needed to ask him something." Phoenix said, remembering Matt's advice. Linda blinked.

"Mello? I don't know... He came in from the soccer field a while ago. He might be in his room or he might be in the playroom, torturing Near." She looked extremely disapproving of this. "The playroom is right there." Here she indicated the room only about two feet away. "If Mello isn't there than I'm pretty sure Near would know. Near knows _everything_." A slightly adoring expression crossed her face, and she skipped off before Phoenix could ask what either Near or Mello looked like.

"That was weird." Maya commented. 'You're one to talk.' Phoenix rolled his eyes.

"Well, let's go have a look than I guess." He suggested, and walked towards the 'playroom.'

The only apparent occupant of the room was a small pale boy with white curly hair who was clothed in what appeared to be white... pajamas. He was in an odd kneeling/sitting position, with a curl wrapped around one finger of his right hand, and with his other hand was stacking dice. An unreasonably elaborate city of dice already surrounded him, and for a moment Phoenix and his 'sidekicks' were struck silent in amazement. Then Pearl bounced forward, agilely making her way to the center and the boy without disturbing a single die. The boy looked up when he heard her light footfalls.

"I would be very upset were you to ruin my city." He warned.

"I won't." Pearl smiled, and the boy blinked, as though unused to her brand of friendliness. The two appeared to be very close in age, Pearl was nine and the boy was too petite and... well, _cute_ to be much older.

"Who are you?" He questioned monotonously, and Phoenix felt a chill run up his spine from hearing so apathetic a voice from a child.

"I'm Pearl Fey." Pearl proclaimed proudly. "Who are you?" The boy considered her for a moment, and turned back to stack his current dice tower a little higher.

"I am called Near." He replied.

"Near? Great!" Maya suddenly squealed. Phoenix flinched at the shrill tone and Pearl looked over in surprise, as though she had forgotten the others' presence for a moment. Near, however, displayed no visible reaction. "We were just looking for you!"

"Really?" A vague tendril of interest had entered the boy's voice, but he didn't look back up.

"Yes." Pearl, annoyed that he seemed to be ignoring them, bent down in his face. Eyes widening ever so slightly, he looked at her, freezing mid-stack. "That girl in the hall told us you'd know where some guy called Mello's room is, and Mr. Nick needs to talk to Mello." Near's facial expression had returned to emotionless, but he seemed to be attempting to lean away from Pearl without falling back into his city. It wasn't working out too well, and every time he tried to go back to ignoring her, she leaned in closer.

"Would you please step back?" He asked finally.

"First, can you show us where Mello's room is, please?" She returned, her infamous Stare-of-Doom on her face, then she actually took a step closer. If Near's personal space was being invaded before, now was enough to have sent him into conniptions had he been claustrophobic. Near crushed the urge to gulp. It was becoming clear to him that he was, for once in his life, outclassed. By a _girl._

Calmly setting down the dice in his hand, Near nodded once. Pearl bounced up immediately, drawing his attention up to her, the mask of apathy slipping just for a moment in shock as she beamed at him.

"Thank you!" Pearl said enthusiastically, as though the confrontation had never occurred. Feeling a tad frazzled, though you wouldn't have been able to tell by looking at him, Near smoothly rose to his feet and delicately picked his way across his city to the door, Pearl following.

"This way." Near instructed, shuffling down the hall towards a staircase.

"Wow Pearly! That was so cool!" Maya whispered to her cousin delightedly. "But, I thought you had problems with clumsiness..." 'Yeah, wasn't that how she broke an urn one time?' Phoenix recalled. Pearl smiled proudly.

"I've been taking ballet lessons." She whispered back, "so my balance is much better now!"

"That's great Pearls!" Phoenix patted her on the head affectionately.

"Yeah, we're so happy for you!" Maya squealed.

"Are you coming?" Near's apathetic voice trailed back to them. The three shared embarrassed glances, and scurried to catch up.

* * *

Mikami Teru was frustrated. It was an emotion he had come to terms with long ago and he was fully in control. However despite his familiarity, or perhaps because of it, the sensation was extremely unpleasant. He had been thwarted, and that was upsetting. There was apparently a possibility that this criminal was innocent of the current crime, and that was upsetting. Most upsetting, however, was the fact that the very prosecuting office he worked for was apparently not opposed to manipulating the legal system. He had seen in the past two days alone evidence of controlled testimony, lying by omission, and bullying of employees.

If there was one thing Teru couldn't stand above all the other criminal things he couldn't stand, it was bullying. To torment or force one's will on another person was to Teru the lowest thing anyone could possibly do. And clearly, the alleged 'prodigies' of the prosecution department had done just that to Detective Gumshoe. Now, don't get Teru wrong, he thought Gumshoe was an annoying and incompetent moron. Still, that did not justify bullying in Teru's opinion. Nothing did.

So he had decided to have a little... Talk... with his supposed peers. One of course was at home ill, and therefore unavailable, the other was in the hospital being treated for an undisclosed but serious condition... the third was another story.

'Stunned' was not a term Edgeworth was overly familiar with. 'Surprised' he knew quite closely. 'Shocked', thanks in no small part to a certain Phoenix Wright, had become a rather well-used word in his extensive vocabulary. 'Stunned' was thankfully still a rarity.

But that's the only word he could think of to describe his feelings when a sophisticated man in sleek glasses with choppy black hair and burning auburn eyes stormed into his office. The man apparently experienced a brief moment of displacement, as most do when entering the office of Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth for the first time. It was all the pink. And the frilliness. And, to a lesser extent, the strong aroma of earl grey tea. The flowers might also have something to do with it, but those weren't Edgeworth's fault. He couldn't get Wendy Oldbag and/or Ema Skye to stop sending them. Accursed fangirls.

At any rate, Edgeworth recovered from being 'stunned' in time to get in the first word before the newcomer shook off his displacement.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my office?" He questioned darkly. And found himself stunned for the second time that day when his stern voice and intimidating glare had no effect.

"Prosecutor Teru Mikami. I am here to discuss something with you, Prosecutor Edgeworth." Teru responded, his tone bordering on acidic. No, actually it probably _was _acidic. As acidic as the human voice can ever manage to be. Edgeworth was moderately impressed; even Franziska had trouble getting that much venom into her words. He was also curious as to what, precisely, had provoked this reaction from the new attorney.

"I see. What is it you wanted to-" Edgeworth didn't get the chance to finish.

"The way in which things appear to be run here is disgusting." Teru's eyes flashed dangerously, "I noted several disturbing hints, and read through previous case files. Attempting to manipulate witness testimony, withholding evidence in an attempt to subdue the defense at a later time, failure to appropriately examine the case itself. Not to mention taking out anger and losses on subordinates. How can anyone say that we are fighting for justice and to place criminals in jail, when it is clear that the majority of these offices are dedicated only to _winning _a trial at any cost, even that of becoming criminals themselves?"

The tirade was unexpected, and oddly unassailable. After all, everything Mikami had said was technically true. Even if Edgeworth had made a change in his own conduct in the past year or so, that didn't change what he had done in the past, and it didn't change what other prosecutors such as Godot, Payne, and Franziska, were still doing. Poor Franziska was making an effort too, though. Obviously she still hadn't given up her goal of defeating Wright, but she was at least trying to straighten out her methods. Edgeworth wasn't quite sure what to say, but he knew he had to say something.

"Honestly, you are right. Recently I have been attempting to change things, although you doubtless have not noticed since you are new, and though that cannot necessarily make amends for past mistakes, it is all I can do. Winning cases has been seen as a way of measuring one's aptitude. For too long the prosecutors here have seen trials not as means of delivering justice and discovering the truth, but as challenges. Challenges that they must win in order to be considered good at their job. It is taking a long time, but I hope to eventually reform these offices." Edgeworth explained. "I apologize for any misunderstanding. Now, if you would kindly leave my office?" Mikami raised an eyebrow delicately, his poisonous glare dissipated.

"I see." Teru, for all his loathing of criminalistic behavior, did believe in redemption. If someone had done something evil, it was only if they showed no sign of remorse and reform that they were to be punished, and that was all. Teru had seen the truth: that the only way to ensure peace and happiness in the world was to eliminate those who would do evil and harm others. Nevertheless, Miles Edgeworth seemed to be sincere in his intentions to change. It was only too bad that everyone couldn't be made to see the light. Perhaps one day Kira would become the only law in the world, the only Justice, and all the treachery in this world would become obsolete. Teru had to believe that, and until then, he would wait, and do his part. Still, Mikami never could resist defending others.

"What about Detective Gumshoe?" Teru questioned severely. Edgeworth blinked.

"Yes, what of him?" Miles tried to think of what the problem could be. Sure, Gumshoe was incompetent, but if Teru was displeased with his services then he should be taking it up with the Chief of Police, not the High Prosecutor.

"Although he is not the most... shall we say 'skilled'?... person in his line of work, it is clear he does his best. It has come to my attention that he has suffered not only insult, but also unnecessary paycuts to extreme levels, and even physical assault." Teru slammed his hands down on Edgeworth's desk alarmingly. Edgeworth stood, opening his mouth angrily to rebuke the other man for his impudence, but the syllables died on his tongue as he saw the complete and utter fury in Teru's eyes. There was something in them that was almost reminiscent of Phoenix in his 'you totally betrayed me' mode. "I understand that you made mistakes in the past that you are attempting to repair, however there is no excuse for using another person to express your anger or disappointment. Cutting his pay or harming him simply because things are not going your way or because you dislike something he said is not acceptable."

"Would he not have taken up this complaint himself, if it were such a problem." Edgeworth pointed out. Teru threw back his head and let out a sharp bitter laugh.

"Of course not! The downtrodden know better than to complain, lest they be punished further!" The poisonous glare was back. "Besides, it is clear that for whatever reason, he respects you and is loyal to a fault." Edgeworth winced at the truth in Mikami's words. He _had_ treated Gumshoe badly, but he'd never really contemplated it before. And it wasn't just him, Franziska and Godot had clearly abused the detective as well. Recalling the unwavering faith Gumshoe had in him, the detective's unwillingness to say a word against him, and worse the shabby state of the detective himself due to his inability to purchase proper food and dress... Edgeworth felt a wave of guilt that had long been fighting to get past the wall of irritation he had regarding Gumshoe. Now that he thought about it, it was truly disgraceful. Half of the things Gumshoe had been rebuked for actually hadn't been his fault.

_Damnit._ Edgeworth was really starting to hate this Teru Mikami.

* * *

"This is Mello's room." Near stopped in front of yet another door. They all looked the same in this place. Well, except that this one had a sign on it that read "Mello and Matt's Room: Trespassers Will Be Shot; Survivors Will Be Shot Again. Especially Near." Not particularly promising. Near turned around and began padding back down the hall to the stairs. "If you can't understand why I'm not coming with you, than I'm not telling." He called as he disappeared. Phoenix was pretty sure he could understand. Hesitantly, the lawyer knocked on the door.

"LINDA IF THAT'S YOU AGAIN I SWEAR I'M GONNA-...Oh. Who the hell are you?" _Crunch!_ A barefoot boy wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt and black jeans with raggedy hems had yanked open the door. The crunching had come from the chocolate bar in his hand, which he had taken a large bite out of. Not that Phoenix was an expert, but the boy appeared to be of German descent, with blue eyes, lightly tanned skin, and blonde hair in a strange bob-like cut that brushed his shoulders. A gold and black rosary dangled against his shirt. The kid couldn't be much more than fourteen, and he could clearly glare for England if he wanted. There was an underlying well of malice in those blue eyes, and Phoenix couldn't help the feeling of relief that welled up inside that he wasn't the one that malice was directed towards.

"Er, hi. We were sent by Matt. We're his lawyers and-" Immediately the blonde's expression changed, melting into a bored look as he grabbed Phoenix by the front of his shirt and dragged him inside with almost super-human strength. Phoenix meeped. Maya and Pearl followed, grinning at Phoenix's discomfort. The blonde released the lawyer and slammed the door, taking another chomp out of his chocolate.

"Matt sent you, huh? Best lawyers my ass if you have to come all the way out here." Mello licked his bar thoughtfully. It had to be Mello, Phoenix just knew it. "I'm Mello." Yep, knew it. "Matt can be a dumbass sometimes with his hacking, but he didn't do it this time, as you probably already know."

"You sound pretty sure." Maya observed. Mello rolled his eyes and bit his chocolate again.

"Of _course_ I'm sure. You chicks aren't lawyers, obviously, who are you?" The boy demanded. Maya grinned in her usual friendly manner.

"I'm Maya Fey, this is my cousin Pearl. We're kinda like Nick's helpers." She announced perkily.

"Nick?" Mello raised an eyebrow.

"Er, short for Phoenix Wright. Attorney at law. Um, nice to meet you?" Phoenix offered.

"Riiight." Mello drawled, and took another bite of chocolate. "So what do you want?"

"Well, mostly we just wanted to ask you a few questions, and maybe take a look around." Phoenix explained. Mello nodded.

"Fine, go ahead then."

There was a slight pause as Phoenix tried to think of what, precisely he should ask.

"So, um... where does Matt usually keep his laptop?" Phoenix settled for finally. Mello pointed over to a bed next to the one window in the room.

"Over there, under his bed. He hardly ever takes it out of the room, too, when he uses it he pretty much just sits on his bed." Mello replied. Curious, Phoenix walked over and took a look. The blanket and sheets were tangled, one blanket corner trailing all the way onto the floor. Apparently Matt wasn't the type of person to make his bed in the morning.

"Is there a possibility that anyone might have come into your room one day while you two were gone?" Phoenix asked thoughtfully.

"Sure, I guess." Mello shrugged. "Me and Matt are outside all the time, and like I said he usually leaves his laptop in here. The doors don't have locks on them, for 'safety reasons' or whatever, so it's possible someone could've gotten in. Although," here Mello's face took on a scary expression, "most people would know better than to come in here without permission."

"Er, right." Phoenix grinned somewhat nervously, and kneeled down to take a quick peek under the bed. It was extremely dusty. There was a clear square-shaped patch of carpet that Phoenix assumed was where the laptop normally sat, and... something else. Hoping it wasn't a spider or something, Phoenix reached forward and pulled out... a ring. It was a small gold-colored ring with a dark purple flower-shaped gem on it. "I'm guessing this doesn't belong to you or Matt." Phoenix said, standing up. Mello shook his head.

"Not a chance."

"Thought so... which means this has to belong to whoever used Matt's laptop to frame him!" Phoenix concluded triumphantly. Maya grinned and clapped, but the celebration was cut short.

"Well, duh." Mello rolled his eyes. "It's not like we're old enough to be taking girls to our room, so obviously it would be someone uninvited and, judging by the location, the one who highjacked Matt's laptop. So, do all lawyers have a tendency to state the obvious, or is it just you?"

"There's no need to be rude!" Pearl scolded, placing her hands on her hips. Mello's eyes widened and he stared at Pearl as though he'd never seen anything quite like her before.

"...Anyway!" Phoenix interjected, "I also want to know, is there anyone around who might have a grudge against Matt or something?"

"Sure," Mello answered, transferring his attention back to Phoenix and taking another chomp out of his chocolate bar. "Matt's ranked number three in the orphanage. It's an academic thing. And we're all pretty competitive, so it wouldn't be improbable for someone to try and take Matt out of the orphanage to improve their own ranking. Basically anyone ranked lower than him could have done it. And from the ring you can cut it down to just girls. Plus, it's unlikely that any of the really low rankings would have bothered, since it wouldn't have made a big difference, so you can exclude it to just the first ten rankings after Matt. Which would give you... about six suspects total." Phoenix, Pearl, and Maya all stared. 'I'm not entirely sure I followed all that...' Phoenix thought exasperatedly.

"You're ranked really high, aren't you?" Maya asked brightly.

"Second." Mello growled, viciously biting into his chocolate. "Not for long though, just until I beat that prat Near." There was a long period of awkward silence.

"Here," Mello said finally, walking over to a desk in the corner of the room and pulling out a sheet of notebook paper and a pen. "I'll make a list of possible suspects for you. You should also get that laptop fingerprinted. Most of the kids here are smart enough not to leave behind something like that, but just in case you should get it checked." Mello scribbled on the paper for a few minutes and brought back a list of seven names to Phoenix. "That's their rank and name, don't bother thanking me. Just get out, I have stuff to do."

"Er, ok, great." Phoenix tucked the ring in his pocket and left the room, Maya and Pearl behind him. Mello slammed the door loudly and Phoenix glanced down at the list.

4. Linda

6. Core

7. Hailey

8. Jada

9. Beth

11. Gem

"Alright," Phoenix grinned, folding up the sheet and tucking it into his pocket with the ring. "Lets head down to the police precinct and see if we can get someone to run a fingerprint check on the lap-" Phoenix was cut short by a painfully familiar voice.

"Hey! What're you doing here, pal!?"

TBC...

A/N: Why does the possibility that I may have just hinted at Pearl/Near not bother me more? xDDD Well, for anyone who didn't think this story was crack... that should put your doubt at rest. REVIEW PLEASE!! I LIVE FOR THE REVIEEEWS!! ...Yeah I'm pathetic... Review anyway!!


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